


Caedrin's Torch

by Ysavvryl



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy With Modern-ish Technology, M/M, Politics, Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-06 23:13:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19072630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysavvryl/pseuds/Ysavvryl
Summary: To light a torch, sometimes you need to seduce a fire god.





	Caedrin's Torch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Burning_Nightingale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burning_Nightingale/gifts).



In the realm of the gods, there is a cave carved out of white marble by the wind and water passing through.  The polished walls reflected the light of a multitude of candles sitting on the ground, attached to the walls, and hung from the ceiling.  A shallow pool of water lay in the center, full of ripples from faint disturbances.  Beside the pool, a woman dressed entirely in gray sat and watched the ripples.  She was the Observer, knowing all of the past, the present, and a little of the future.  Her shrine was a realm of quiet, which was interrupted by a large belch from outside.

She sighed quietly.  It was to be expected, but one always hoped for better manners.  “Come in, Virsae.”

A nearly shapeless cloud of fire entered her shrine, keeping close to the ceiling.  “Fucking hell, do you have to sober everyone who comes to visit?”

“Yes, that is the requirement,” the Observer said.

Virsae shuffled down near the edge of the pool where visitors normally sat, taking a vaguely human-ish form.  “And this is why nobody wants to visit you when, if you tried even a little, you could control the world.”

“That is not my role,” she said.

“Damn,” he said, then muttered some more.

“Do you know why I called you in now?” she asked, raising one of her hands from her lap.  A door shut over the entrance, making the meeting private.

“Yeah yeah, it’s about the Agreement,” he said, then dryly went on, “Seven years after the royal ruler of Caedrin dies, we get together to examine the children born in that year of death to determine who the new ruler is.  And I’m supposed to marry them during their coronation, also their twenty-first birthday.  Which I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t keep picking out milquetoasts for rulers.  They’ve been so damn boring the past few centuries that I feel like I’d turn to embers if I actually spend any time with them.”

“All of them?” the Observer asked.

Virsae flickered.  “Well okay, that last queen was actually pretty good once she reached the ‘I am so fucking tired of this shit’ stage.  I did go visit her a couple of times, yes.  But I didn’t let her tame me!  She never got that tasty.  Come on, give me someone spicy enough to make me cackle.”

Sighing again, the Observer said, “Please do not speak of your future spouse in culinary terms, even if it’s figurative.  Your agreement with Caedrin does not include that kind of ceremony.”

He muttered briefly, then said, “Well then don’t go calling on me when I’m enjoying being drunk.  And, uh… what the hell was I doing?”

“Setting the Palace of the Great Mother on fire with a war god and goddess,” she answered.  When he didn’t immediately reply, she added, “There is a high chance that it will be completely destroyed as of tomorrow.”

“Dammit,” he groaned, withdrawing his flames into a spherical shape.

“You should refrain from getting drunk with them yet again,” she said.

“Or maybe I should embrace the wild again,” Virsae said.  “I’m still a force of destruction and everyone’s gone so soft and comfortable with all these agreements and alliances.  We should challenge the humans and other deities to face the brutal truth of nature.  Heh, I bet if I make them tame me in the old ways again, then things would get interesting again.”

“Virsae, we are a civilized society now,” the Observer said.  Her eyes were hidden by the veil over her head, but her rebuking glare could be felt.  “We do not need to return to those primitive times, nor does most of the world want to return.  May I remind you of what your punishment would have been for an incident like today’s in the past?”

“Pfft, you don’t have to,” he said.  “Fine, but really, could you pick out someone more interesting this time?”

“That’s not under my control,” she said.  “Little is.  I merely observe and project based on what is.  I don’t change things save by informing others.”

“Right,” he said skeptically.

Ignoring that, she placed her hand just over the water’s surface.  “The terms of the agreement you reached with the nation of Caedrin mean that we are limited to choosing rulers born in the year that the past ruler died.  Furthermore, we expect certain characteristics from rulers chosen by the heavens, with fallback conditions should none of them meet the proper ideals.  We have gotten unlucky lately with your nation.”

“Just unlucky?  I’m fucking sick of this.”

“If you really want, you can petition the Great Mother to allow a curse of vengeance upon Caedrin for failing to live up to your expectations,” the Observer said.  “That is, if you can negotiate with her after you’ve destroyed her palace.”

“Fuck, are you gonna rat me out?” he asked, starting to rise like he might bolt.

“I am bound to tell the truth,” she said.  “Although if you behave here from now on, I could inform her that you’ve been in a funk since the death of the last Caedrin queen and the war couple egged you into it.  That would be a truth.”

“Sure, thanks,” Virsae said, coming back to the proper position.  “Okay, so since the last royal ruler was a queen, this time it’s gonna be a king.  Although if we’re unlucky again, I’d go for either as long as they’re interesting.”

The Observer nodded, although she didn’t think checking the girls was necessary.  She traced some waves in the pool, shifting the view strictly to Caedrin.  “This time, there have been some different ripples.  The House of Nobles tried again to influence our decision with the children they’ve been watching.”

“Which are their own brats.”

“Certainly.”  Turning her hand over, she beckoned the viewing pool to cast images Virsae would more easily grasp.  “Queen Relsina did some great things in her later years, including founding the Order of the Cobalt Flame.  The Order has been effective in undermining the power of the Caedrin nobles who are no longer a benefit to the nation.  As they are not playing favorites with the potential rulers, they have sworn in prayer to support the one properly chosen by heaven.”

“She could have been a greater queen if she’d challenged things sooner,” Virsae said, nearly showing his regret that she didn’t get the chance to continue.  But he preferred to appear spiteful and more likely to regress back to a primal state.

It was unlikely that he would fully snap back to primal within the next decade, the Observer thought.  But the chance that he would was steadily growing as he continued being bored to embers.  “I will show you the noble children that have been favored by their families,” she said, even though she knew he’d reject all of them.  “This is the one with the most support, if he is chosen.”

Although the children in question were around seven years old, she could project strong possibilities for them up to seventeen, to display the most likely path they would be on if they were chosen to train as Caedrin’s prince.  A handsome teenaged boy appeared in a sunny garden, surrounded by a gaggle of admirers.  Everything about him, from his golden curls to his unblemished nails, was meticulously kept clean and neat.  “We are known as the nation that tamed fire, but that’s no reason to not be known as a nation of beauty as well.”

Virsae made his body of flames snap in disgust.  “I told you, I don’t want any milquetoasts!  He’s all sparkling veneer over a hollow weak heart.  If he faced conflict or true fire, he’d faint right away.  Why the he… why would anyone want him as ruler?”

“He’d let the House of Nobles do whatever they please as long as he keeps an easy life,” the Observer said.

“They used to be real experts guiding the nation wisely,” Virsae said.  “Hmph.  Not this one, never.”

As she went through the possibilities, he kept dismissing them based on their spirits.  One boy was already spoiled and would get worse should he be named prince.  But he wasn’t as bad as another who was naturally cruel; that one Virsae cursed loudly on.  The Observer let that one slip by since it was well deserved.  Others were not nearly as bad as those three, but still dissatisfied him.  He would likely dismiss the boys not of nobility as well, save one.

“These choices have been poor ones,” she admitted.  “But there is one boy who may cause stronger ripples.  Here.”

A young teenager appeared, standing by a window on a rainy day.  He had dark blue hair, straight enough that it seemed like it had a sharp edge.  Matching that, his expression was very serious.  “I will not be a figurehead,” he said fiercely.  “If they want to direct the nation, they should do so responsibly.  But they are irresponsible and selfish like spoiled children.  I’ll take power back from them in any way I can.”

“Now that’s what I’ve been hoping for,” Virsae said, impressed.  “Proud without being vain, determined… and intelligent, right?”

“One of the most intelligent of his generation,” the Observer said.  “These words are highly likely because he is capable of realizing his situation though his own study.  He should become a just ruler with the right guidance.”

“Then he should be the next king as I think the rest are highly unlikely to match him,” Virsae said.

“That is true, but we must still examine them,” she said, making him groan.  Beyond that, he tolerated her showing the rest until they could set the signs on Ralsim.

* * *

The whole nation was buzzing with talk and activity today.  Some devised plans to stop changes, some muttered complaints, some celebrated joyously, some took advantage of the occasion to party, some discussed how this would change Caedrin for the better or for the worse.  It was coronation day for a king who was not from a prominent family.  As that had not occurred for a long time, people were anxious and eager to see how this would change things.  Some of them didn’t want it to happen at all.

As the young king left the Hall of Justice, a man in a crimson cloak dashed over with a long dagger in hand.  “Die, mongrel!”

A knight at the king’s side stepped in the way and knocked the assassin into the stone wall with his armored fist.  “Not today, traitor.”

“We will never give…” the assassin started to claim.  But King Ralsim stopped him cold with a paralysis spell, causing him to stammer and glare.

Sighing, Ralsim clasped his hands in front of himself again.  “Perhaps your allies won’t give up, but you’ll be going to prison.  And you won’t be remembered for this foolish attempt, barely a two out of ten.”

The assassin was forced to his feet by the knight who had stopped him.  “What?” he asked, his anger faltering.

“The timing was almost decent, but everything else about it is poor,” Ralsim explained.  “Seriously, you pulled a dagger before you were even close to me?  And I’ll have guards around me all day; that much should have been obvious.  This was a bad assassination attempt, even worse than the attempt at poisoning my breakfast this morning.  Take him inside to be taken care of.”

“Yes, my liege,” the knight said, doing as ordered.  There would be some court guards inside who could take care of imprisoning the assassin, meaning they only had to wait a minute for him to leave with a full guard.

“Thank you for that,” Ralsim said to the knight as they started to head down the stairs.

“The Order of the Cobalt Flame is on your side,” the knight said.

That was reassuring.  Over the course of his life, there had been many signs that he had been chosen by the gods to rule Caedrin.  His birth had been on a day when the power of fire burned easily and bright.  At his naming ceremony, the temple’s fires had turned gold.  The power gem on the royal scepter had shone when he took hold of it at eight years old, unlike with the other boys tested in that manner.  He was also blessed in magic, especially with the element of fire.  But despite all these signs, much of the nobility of Caedrin disliked him for being willful and independent.  He would think through things himself, not simply accept what he was told.  He would not take a life of luxury in exchange for letting the House of Nobles do as they pleased.

Continuing the day’s tour, they stopped next in the House of Nobles itself.  Those of the Order told him that before Queen Relsina’s reforms, the House of Nobles held authority over every part of Caedrin’s government.  Ralsim wanted to continue those reforms.  As a result, he got a mixed reception coming to speak in front of representatives of the noble families.  It was getting better.  They actually stood and applauded to the speech he gave them.

He stopped in a meeting room of the building, saying he needed a break.  But he had sent a note to one of the nobles that was one of his supporters, to meet her here.  Before Lady Arwen showed up, another lord appeared with two individuals Ralsim didn’t recognize.  But the white neck ribbons that both wore marked them as courtesans.  “Well done, my king,” Lord Kesheon said.  “You’ve grown into quite the speaker.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“I thought I’d give you these two for the night, in celebration of your coronation,” Kesheon said, gesturing to the two courtesans.  Both of them smiled; the woman even giggled while the man fiddled with the lute he carried.

Just like with the assassinations, they were still trying to win him over with entertainment and sex.  It was annoying because he would decline such bribes.  “Thank you, but I won’t take them,” Ralsim said.  “It would be in poor taste given the evening’s ceremony.”

“It’s not a marriage ceremony despite what most people think,” Kesheon said.  “You should know that.”

He nodded.  “Yes, but it’s in honor of Virsae.  I am grateful that he chose me as king; I will not disrespect him.”

“Ah, I had not considered that,” the lord said, brushing his bangs aside.  Lady Arwen came in with her personal attendant.  “If that is how you feel, then I’ll respect that.  But you are missing out.”

“Not everyone is hedonistic, Kesheon,” Arwen said as she came into the lord’s sight.  “It should be clear by now what his opinions are.”

“I would hope so,” Ralsim said.

“Opinions can always change,” Kesheon said, then bowed.  “Well, good day then.”

Once he was gone with his courtesans, Lady Arwen bowed as well.  “I’ve read over the note you got; it is worrisome.  Who was it from?”

“The Leuda ambassador, after the morning ceremony of the crown,” he said, bringing out a copy he had made to check again.  He had spent the morning greeting ambassadors and other foreign dignitaries, during which one of them handed him this note.

‘Congratulations on your ascension, but it may not mean much.  The old god of fire Virsae has returned to embers and a new god of fire has been awakened to our call.  In coming days, we will challenge you to prove otherwise.’  Ralsim didn’t have the skill to tell who may have wrote it.  As it was the ambassador handed it over, it was a concern.

Arwen put a hand to her cheek.  “You need to be over to the House of Commons in half an hour, so I’ll make this brief.  A few generations ago, Leuda rose up as small nation with a military drawn from deserters and political objectors of other nations.  The early Leudans took pride in not depending on any god; they only built a temple to the Great Mother after angering another god and getting cursed for it.  However, the current ruler has been seeking a patron god and Virsae hasn’t been seen for a long time.  If we can’t call on him, they may attempt to take our lands by becoming the nation of fire.”

“That makes sense,” he said.  And they would have waited until now to offer the challenge, when Virsae’s absence would be most noticeable.

“You seemed to be courteous to the ambassadors,” Arwen said.  “Did you inform anyone else of this?”

“I gave a brief notice to the priestesses from Illumina,” Ralsim said.  “They seek to keep peace along with serving the gods, so I felt letting them know that someone was trying to steal our divine favor was prudent.  Not who, and they told me that they’d consider it and speak to me more before the torch ceremony.”  Normally only citizens of Caedrin could be involved in that ceremony, but exceptions were made for representatives of Illumina Holy City.

Arwen nodded.  “I agree with that decision.  If anyone can help us with this challenge, it’s Illumina.  Although the best course would be if Virsae does appear soon; that is up to him, unfortunately.”

“After today, I ought to be able to contact him,” he said.  “At least enough to find the truth of his condition.  But it’s clear we need to be prepared for Leuda’s ambitions.”

“We’ll discuss this further later this week, once you’ve attempted that,” Arwen said, putting the note away.  “I’ll get an expert to determine who wrote this, as well as get an assessment of our lands close to Leuda.”

“I’ll leave that to you,” Ralsim said, bowing his head in thanks.

The House of Commons greeted him enthusiastically, even having a small crowd in the entrance hall who cheered as he entered.  A man stepped out of the crowd; Ralsim immediately felt wary even though these people should be supporters.  After all, he and Relsina had restored this House’s equality with the nobles.  The man offered an envelope and a bead charm.  “We’d like to invite you to a celebration tomorrow, and the charm is to wish you well in your ceremony tonight.”

“Thank you, I hope I can attend,” he said, accepting the gift.

The speech he gave to them was similar to the one he’d given earlier, but with more gratitude for their support.  There was a great deal of excitement in the room as he was one of them.  Being less formal, there were cheers at points that made him smile.  Ralsim felt like he could continue against all the opposition against him thanks to these people.  His family as well; they had spent yesterday with him since he was going to be busy for the rest of the week.

For the last Coronation Day speech, he went to Adrias Hall to speak with the leading knights and generals.  As many of them were part of the Order of the Cobalt Flame, they were also supportive of him.  He switched his guards while there, then headed back to the castle for dinner.  The last part of the day would be the torch ceremony.  When he had been sworn in as the prince, he had pledged his loyalty to Virsae and Caedrin.  The crowning ceremony had reaffirmed his loyalty to the nation.  The torch ceremony reaffirmed his loyalty to their god.

Perhaps there was a way to get Virsae’s attention tonight, with something he’d learned yesterday from his father.

* * *

Ralsim’s family still lived out in a distant town, although they called him regularly and visited when they could afford the trip.  He liked being with them because he could avoid political topics and struggles for a while, hearing instead about town gossip and small matters.  Especially with his mother, who would talk in-depth about her gardening and trips to search out wild herbs.  This time, his sisters had a funny tale about a pair of kittens they’d found in the tool bin of their metalwork shed after coming back from a young mechanics build jam.

And his father wanted to speak to him alone after dinner.  Ralsim brought him into the parlor of his quarters.  “The staff knows to not interrupt here when the door’s closed,” he explained, taking his usual chair.  “What is it?”

Taking off his pocket watch, his father said, “What I’m going to tell you is a trade secret among blacksmiths normally.  But I have feeling you could get some use out of knowing this.  You left us before you were old enough to let you in the smithy, so I’d like to introduce you to the spirit of my forge, Flivva.”

An orb of fire escaped the watch, hovered there for a moment, then transformed into woman with copper-colored skin and pink hair flickering like flames.  “Hi Ralsim!” Flivva said cheerily.  She leaned over and looked towards his ear.  “Oo, you’re more serious than your father, but you’ve also got a handsome spirit.”

“Hello Flivva,” he replied, used to that kind of behavior.  There were a few fire spirits around the castle.  They worked with the furnaces, the steamworks, the fireplaces, and the kitchen.  And because this was the capitol of the nation of fire, fire spirits were more common than other elementals.

“Danyal thought we should talk because you’re supposed to marry Virsae tomorrow,” Flivva said, standing back up.

“It’s not a marriage,” Ralsim said.  “Not like the original king of Caedrin.  I just need to swear an oath of loyalty to Virsae as Caedrin’s ruler, then bring back some fire from his altar to the royal torch in the castle entrance.”  The castle torch was to then burn for the rest of his life as a symbol of his reign.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Flivva said, flicking a hand through her hair and temporarily making it longer.  “Virsae hasn’t been serious about anybody for ages, at least to my knowledge.  Though some elder spirits say that he’s just been bored for a long time.”

“But it is in honor of that old proof of divine right to rule, by taming the primal elemental gods,” his father said.  “The fire spirit at our town temple has been worried over Virsae seeming to regain some primal traits.  For instance, there was that firestorm outside of town a few years back.  It could have just been a spell-casting accident or even an unusual natural instance.  But such things can also happen because of a god who forgets their civilized ways.  Since you were presumably chosen by Virsae and will have an oath of loyalty to him, you might have to call on him to get him to settle down again.”

“That might be so,” Ralsim said, thinking over some rumors that drifted around.

Danyal nodded.  “So I figured you ought to hear about how blacksmiths tame forge spirits, because when some folks say that we have an affair with fire, it’s not a joke to us.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah,” Flivva said, having gone over to check out the fireplace.  “Actually, he asked me if he could marry Jessie, which is fine by me because I can’t give him children.  And she’s fine with me too, though it took some explaining to make her feel comfortable with this.”

“I’m glad that worked out,” Danyal said.  “See, forge and kiln spirits are regular fire spirits that have been tamed to be a smith or potter’s work partner.  But they can’t be domestic spirits like those who tend to fireplaces or kitchens.  Forges and kilns need a fire spirit that was wild born so that their fires burn hotter and longer.  The most certain way to tame them is to forge an emotional connection to them, which usually turns passionate.”

“I suppose that does account for some parts of this ceremony,” Ralsim said, although it was most likely still a recreation.

Flivva giggled at that.  “Ah, does he require you to strip?”

“Not fully,” Ralsim said.

She still smiled.  “Most fire spirits really like that, even though we see things different from you humans.  It’s not the nudity that’s stimulating, but the courage to make yourself vulnerable that gets us.  Although, your personality has to be attractive in the first place for that to work.  I usually know if I’m going to like somebody or hate them in the first couple of minutes.”

Danyal and Flivva had some other insights into fire spirits that were interesting to hear.  But would those insights be useful with a fire god?  Ralsim considered it once he got some time to think, alone in his quarters after the day was done.  The elemental spirits were shorter lived, more like humans in mind and personalities than gods.  But elementals on a whole, from the very brief lives of pixies to the immortal forces of nature that were gods, often had similar powers and perceptions of the world.  What worked for his father to attract Flivva as his work partner might also be useful in negotiating with Virsae.

Would it also be useful to use the oath to seduce him too?  That wasn’t something Ralsim had in mind before, certainly not something he had experience in.  If he could convince Virsae to manifest, it would help with so much.  The nobles still doubted Ralsim and wanted him gone, but would be forced to rethink things if Virsae was visibly on his side.  There was also the worry of if the fire god was slipping and might break the agreement that kept him supporting mortals instead of destroying them.  Maybe he did need the kind of taming that turned wild and dangerous fire spirits into hardworking spirits of forge and kiln.

“This is not something I’d imagine myself considering,” Ralsim said, relaxed in a chair and watching the fire in the fireplace.  “But it makes too much sense not to think over.  There’s sure to be some problems with it, though, hmmm… could make things sticky later on.”

While the oath wasn’t a real marriage, tradition kept the kings and queens of Caedrin from seeking a regular marriage.  It was normal for them to have lovers if they so choose, sometimes even informal unions of devotion.  There were certainly princes and princesses born into Caedrin royalty, although they weren’t guaranteed to become an heir.  As far as he could tell, only the first ruler of Caedrin actually had Virsae as a lover.  Others might have, but such things weren’t kept in records.

It could be useful, but he had his own reasons.  He was a prince, and he was alone.  He only saw his family on rare occasions like this.  Even when they came, he often had to set aside times to be with them.  The servants and knights around the castle were now devoted to him and trustworthy, but he couldn’t call them friends.  He did have some friends among his tutors and a few contacts in the Order.  Still, they were mostly older than him and often busy with their own lives like he was with his.

And having someone to love?  That was always going to be difficult.  Some assassins had already attempted to get close through friendship or flirtation to kill him.  Other wanted to take advantage of him; he had anyone who tried to get close like that researched in case of such problems.  Although, he was often tempted to trust new people just to have some social life.  There were also a few courtesans in the castle who would sleep with him if he felt like it.  Certain nobles had even offered him their own in attempts at bribery.  Ralsim had declined such bribes before.

“I wish I had someone trustworthy close by,” he said, starting to close his eyes.  “A friend at least, to talk to about things like this.  Is it disrespectful or is it expected?”

He tried to think over this plan for Virsae, and other things that he needed to take care of.  But he was worn out after the long day.  Before he’d realized it, he had gotten in bed.  It happened sometimes, that he’d doze off in the chair and end up sleepwalking to bed.  At least it was just to bed.  Ralsim closed his eyes again.  After a moment, he thought he felt someone stroke his cheek.  But there was no one when he looked.

“It’s been a long day,” he mumbled, then went to sleep.

Once he was asleep, Virsae materialized as a cloud of fire in the room.  “What were you talking about with your father?” he asked quietly.  “I couldn’t watch through the fireplace this time because of that forge spirit with him.  All well, I can ask you tomorrow.”  He chuckled.  “Heh, tomorrow is going to be good.  You’ll get what you’re wishing for very soon.”

He then retreated back to the fireplace in order to wait.

* * *

After dinner, Ralsim got dressed again, this time with a large white cape that had an attached fan collar.  It was a grander version of traditional wedding attire on account of him being royalty.  He then headed down to the large fire basin in the grand entrance hall of the castle.  Currently, it was clean and polished.  Nothing had burned inside it since Relsina’s death.  Ralsim took a smaller torch at the side of the fire basin, then met with a high priest of Virsae.

The high priest anointed him with special oils, a blend meant to purify the soul in a marking to protect against fire.  “This young man is choosing a life of both devotion and leadership, being the earthly partner of our gracious god Virsae,” the high priest prayed over him.  “Great Mother, we ask for your blessings over Ralsim as well.  He has been virtuous, honorable, and courageous as our prince in spite of being the focus of selfish hatred.  Please watch over him and protect him as he continues to lead our nation into a bright future.”

Listening to the prayer, Ralsim felt his tensions vanish away into peace.  It was a welcome change from his constant state of caution, always being wary of what was said and done around him.  Everything faded before a warm light that passed through him.  “Please take care of Virsae,” a woman’s voice said.  “He can be a troublemaker but is much less so when someone he adores is alive.”

It gave him a faint chill.  That must be a goddess, perhaps the Great Mother?  He nodded slightly, careful even though the crown was pinned to his hair now to keep it in place.  If it was the will of the other gods, Ralsim would do his best to get Virsae’s attention and tame him back down.

With the prayer done, the high priest got out a crysphone and checked with others posted around the capitol.  They had to make sure others were ready.  The bells in the castle towers rang to the high priest’s orders, followed up by bells across the capitol.  In ripples, that would spread through the whole nation to let everyone know that he was after proof of his right to reign.  He took the torch in both hands and headed out the gate with his entourage.

A group of steamwork walkers were waiting outside.  While they certainly weren’t the fastest transportation around, they were impressive for ceremonial uses.  The shorter walkers that the high priest and a few others took had an enclosed cab.  Due to the long cape and heavy ornamentation of his costume, Ralsim got some help stepping onto the open platform on the taller walker.  His butler straightened out his clothes once he knelt down for better pictures, then activated the invisible shielding to block any potential attacks.  The steam engines hissed as they heated up.  After a moment, the walker’s legs unfolded so it stood tall on the streets.  The lead short walker had a driver while the other two were programmed to follow it from the castle entrance to Virsae’s temple.

The streets along the way were filled with torches burning bright by evening, strings of flowers and charms, and costumed people who came out to see the spectacle.  There were so many of them cheering even though this and the return trip were the only parts they could witness.  In all the bickering and subterfuge that he had to deal with every day, it was easy to forget that there were people happy with his rule.  He could make an informal broadcast tomorrow morning thanking the people for their support.  The news programs would likely run it if he asked.

At the temple, he looked up at Caedrin’s Torch.  It was a grander version of the torch in the castle, resting on top of a tall spire.  The fires up there were directly from Virsae and had burned since the beginning of the nation.  With the divine fire casting its light over the capitol, monsters and evil beings didn’t dare come near.  If Virsae had turned to embers, all fires in Caedrin would weaken.  That could be the end of their nation.  Ralsim hoped that wasn’t happening, although he knew he should be prepared in case of anything.

The ceremony was meant to have few witnesses, but the priestesses from Illumina had managed to be there.  The Holy Citadel was where oracles gathered to speak with the gods, making it the center of religious knowledge and worship.  As a result, there was no reason to deny them being here if that’s what they wanted.  “Thank you for coming, holy mothers,” he said, placing a hand on his chest out of respect.

“We’re glad to be here, King Ralsim,” the oldest of the three said; they each gave a respectful bow in response.  “You have done well to prove your worth to all those who doubted you.”

“I hope I can continue meeting the expectations of the gods,” Ralsim said.  “We didn’t get long to talk before, so what concerns you about Virsae?”

“He has been troublesome for some time,” the elder said.  “When we call on him, he doesn’t answer.  When we hear of him, he seems to be causing trouble.  We’re hoping that your ceremony will help calm him down.”

The priestess dressed entirely in gray added, “We have seen signs and heard rumors that he may have returned back to a primal state.  Since he is an elemental god, that would lead to disasters for everyone.  We planned on staying here to see about summoning him tomorrow, as your oaths should draw him here.  That should settle things with other nations challenging you.  If he doesn’t come, we’ll have to discuss how to keep the world’s balance peaceful.”

“I’ll work with you on that,” Ralsim said, then asked his butler for his scheduling book so they could arrange the summoning and meeting.

With that arranged, they headed up to the observation tower in front of Caedrin’s Torch.  They stopped on the open-air platform there; four torches sat at the corners and a mystic circle was engraved on the floor.  There was an opening in the spire across from them, but no visible way to get over there.  Below in the streets, they could faintly hear singing and chatter from the crowds hoping this ceremony went well.  A breeze came through, scattering the light that came off all the flames.

The high priest brought him to the edge nearest to the spire’s opening.  “Caedrin used to be a wasteland of fiery desert, unlivable to anything but creatures of flames.  But thanks to the efforts of King Taelen, our ancestors were able to tame the flames and turn this land into an advanced nation full of life and potential.  King Ralsim, in order to reaffirm our alliance with Virsae and maintain our prosperity, please enter the fires and ask our god for some as a sign of your role as his representative in the world.”

Nodding and placing the torch to his chest, Ralsim replied, “To honor the traditions and history of our nation, I pledge myself to him as his earthly partner.  I will be loyal and true to Virsae and Caedrin for all of my life.”

The high priest gestured out to the spire, opened his hand palm down, and recited an arcane phrase.  A path of flames ignited in the air to give access to Caedrin’s Torch.  “Then head on over, with our blessing.”

His guard for this important day was made up of six knights.  For this ascent, he left three of the knights to guard the observation tower and took the other three and his butler across the fire bridge.  There were a few rooms inside the spire.  After getting the upper area checked out, the knights took up guard positions near the upper rooms.  His butler followed him up to the antechamber of the torch basin to help him take off the cape of his ceremonial outfit.  It wasn’t something he could wear into fire.

Thinking over his plans again, Ralsim looked over the charm bracelet he wore.  He had a pair of charms from his parents, as most people did.  A few recognizing his studies, the one from the House of Commons today, one from when he was named Caedrin’s prince… he hadn’t picked one out yet to mark today, but the gift charm could carry that meaning.  His people were important to him.  “Pardon me, but I’ve decided that I’ll take this traditionally,” he told his butler.

“You don’t need to,” he said, concerned.  “That does carry a risk of being harmed.”

“Virsae won’t let me be burned,” Ralsim said.  “And I need to catch his attention so we can summon him tomorrow.  I’ll be fine.”

“Very well, take care,” he said, then went behind a shelf in the room to give him some privacy.

Ralsim stripped down to where he was only wearing the charm bracelet, then took the torch and headed up.   He had to put aside some nervousness being outside like this.  With how the spire was constructed, he’d only be seen by the gods up here.  He did feel better once he got before the torch’s basin itself.  The divine fire burned gold and white on no fuel but Virsae’s power.  This should be proof enough that Virsae still existed.  Although, he could have reverted into a primal element.  That would let this torch continue to burn, but with a risk of it spilling over to destroy the city.

Bringing the torch to his chest, he called out, “Blessed Virsae, I have accepted your calling to lead our people.  Thank you for guiding me to do so.  Please lend me your fire so that I may light the way for all of Caedrin.”  He then stepped into the divine fires to reach the center.

The flames treated him gently although they quickly filled his vision and hearing.  It sounded no different than the fires of a fireplace.  Once he reached the center, Ralsim paused to think of a song.  That let him begin a dance that should get his torch lit.  The old records stated that this ceremony would be echoed in the heavens.  The dance of the divine fires was to bridge the divide and bring them together.  Like many other ceremonies, it didn’t literally do that.  But the spiritual connection was important; it should let him summon Virsae tomorrow with the help of the holy mothers…

Something stroked his cheek, but not the feathery touches of the flames.  Ralsim paused in his dance, only seeing flames before him.  Then a hand clasped his, the one holding the troch; his waist was grasped too.  He still only saw fire.  Was this Virsae?  Then he felt a reassuring presence, much like earlier when a goddess spoke to him.  This was a god who cared about humanity.  And perhaps loved him?

The god didn’t say anything yet, but tugged at his hand to keep going.  Making a guess, Ralsim reached up and tried to put his other hand on his partner.  It took a moment for him to find a grip, then he continued with the dance.  The flames around them swirled as if given fresh air.  Similarly, Ralsim felt like he’d entered some dream far apart from his daily cares.  It felt like nothing could go wrong now; he would forever be protected by fire.  This was Virsae, alive and well.

Then Virsae gripped him tighter before making a solid wall of fire around them.  What for?  Still in a state of euphoria, he glanced aside in time to see a black bolt crash into the wall and splinter all around them.  Virsae let him go, making whirlwinds of his flames.  One wrapped around him while the others flung a cloaked figure to the floor by them.  From the arcane spear they gripped, the attacker appeared to be a high-ranking warlock.

While the warlock was on their back, Caedrin’s Torch erupted in anger.  Its gold flames turned bright red as they spread wings across the sky to dwarf the castle city.  “You arrogant fool,” Virsae’s deep voice growled.  Impressions on the cloak appeared as the warlock was pinned down.  “Your body shall perish but your soul shall burn evermore.”

“Wait,” Ralsim said, focusing his mind to cut through the haze induced by his gifted happiness.  “If you kill him here, your flames will turn black.”

“What does that matter?” Virsae asked.  “He would kill you and disrespect us gods in doing so.  He has forfeited his right to live.”

“He is a fool, but it would be foolish to kill him here,” he said, his head clearer.  “I’d give this attempt a seven out of ten since it would take considerable skill or cleverness to get up here, and I can see the strategic element in this time and place.  And a piece of that is inciting you and slandering your reputation as well as Caedrin’s.  Please send him down to my knights in the observation tower to be arrested.”

“If you say so,” Virsae said, sending him away in a whirlwind.  He then withdrew his fires from the sky.  “But I will mark him with the wrath of the gods.”

“That’s suitable,” Ralsim said.

Virsae chuckled; his fires calmed back to their normal golden color. “He deserves an extra special curse for disrupting our dance.  Now that we’re alone again, I have an idea.  Why stop with ruling just Caedrin?  You could conquer the entire damn world.”

“The world?” he asked, surprised at the suggestion.  “Why would I want to conquer the world?”

“Who wouldn’t want to?” he asked, now seeming near his shoulder.  “Peace is so fucking boring, endless damn discussions about insignificant details that really is just another form of warfare.  But we could raze all of our enemies with the real flames of war!  Fire is pure destruction, something that most mortals have forgotten.  I want to burn them all and make your kind remember why you fear gods like me.  And I will make you into Emperor of the world, respected and honored by all.”

That sounded like how his father described wild fire spirits.  But a normal fire spirit would stand out in these divine flames, not be them.  “Then you are Virsae,” Ralsim said, thinking over the situation.

“Of course I am,” he replied, as his flames spiraled around Ralsim.  Some came closer and caressed his face with a gentleness at odds with his words.  “And you’re my groom, soon to be mine entirely.”

That touch was familiar.  Seeing what was going on but pretending he didn’t, he asked, “Groom?  That’s not what this is; I’m just here for the fire that proves my right to reign.”

“Fuck, have you mortals forgotten even that?” Virsae asked.  “No, I picked you as the potential heir most attractive to me.  I’ve been wed to every single one of Caedrin’s rulers, but most of them were utterly boring to me.  They only got picked because they were the shiniest turds of the eligible mortals and everyone insisted that somebody had to be picked, my feelings be damned.  But I finally got a good one.  I finally got you, one I’ve waited for for centuries.  I will make them see how glorious you are, how your soul stands far above theirs.  I don’t care what any of the rest of the damn gods think, we will rule them all as fire should.”

This was like what Flivva had spoken about too.  Virsae had already chosen him.  Now, it was up to Ralsim to tame him back down.  Looking to where he heard Virsae’s voice, he replied, “No.”

Sputtering in shock, Virsae’s flames turned brighter.  “Wh-what?  What do you mean by no?”

Ralsim took on a stern expression.  “Look, I’m honored that you’d pick me out as the ruler of Caedrin.  Maybe even as your spouse, although I feel slighted in that I wasn’t told about that in all the things I had to learn.  But I have no interest in conquering the world, especially not by means of burning everything around us.  That would cause far too much unnecessary suffering and death, leaving us with only scorched earth to rule.”

It made him darken, finally making him visible in the gold flames. His shape kept shifting like flames left to move where they pleased.  “But I want you to rule the world,” Virsae said, upset now.  “You have a rare soul; someone like you should be the most important in the world.  You’re that way to me.”

While he did feel bad briefly, Ralsim wanted to be firm with this.  “I’m sorry, but that’s a line I don’t want to cross.  For one thing, we’re in a bad position to be thinking about declaring war with any neighboring nation, much less the whole world.”

“Hmm?”  He was still disappointed, but he was listening.  Good.

He held the torch out in front of him.  “You and the other gods picked me out to carry this, as well as the responsibilities it represents.  Right?  Right.  Have you seen how much I’ve had to fight to keep my position until I was of age to do this?  I didn’t realize you were waiting on me to be of age to marry too, but besides that, there have been so many attempts on my life that I’m literally not safe anywhere.  Not even here within your divine flames.  I’ve fought with words, blackmail, and even fire to take back the power that Caedrin royalty should have.  I’ve had to resist bribes, threats, seductions, and falsehoods to keep it.  While this will force my enemies to accept that I am king, I’m sure they won’t give up on kicking me out.”

“They’re all wrong, you most deserve to be king,” Virsae said.

“I do my best to fulfill your call,” Ralsim said.  “Which means that I need to keep my focus within Caedrin and make it a united nation instead of these selfish splinters that keep bickering over their own interests.”

“I see, then once that’s done, we can conquer the world.”

He shook his head.  “No.  I don’t expect to complete that goal in my lifetime.  Or if I do, it will be many years from now.  Besides, what good would conquering the world do for me?  It would earn me the hatred and resentment of many more, not their respect.  The world works fine the way it is, in an overall sense.  I want to make sure the same could be said of Caedrin.  If I was really after respect as my primary goal, then I wouldn’t change my course any time soon.  Making our nation better for its peoples should be enough for others to respect me, which might not be accomplished if I try to conquer the world even with your vast powers.”

Virsae ruffled Ralsim’s hair.  “Mmhmmhmmm… ah, sorry to test you, but I thought you might decline that offer.  That kind of thing is what drew me to you in the first place.  Although I didn’t see you being so forceful and certain of your answer even after I’ve watched over you these past few years.  But are you going to refuse to marry me too?  That could cause problems.”

“I would have liked more warning of this,” he said.  “Nobody I’ve spoken with thought you’d actually show up.”

“Ah, I didn’t think about that,” he said.  “I did choose to stay away from the others, yeah, but I figured you mortals would remember.  All well, probably my fault.”

“It’s fine, I just need to make this decision on the spot,” Ralsim said, although he already had a plan.  “Besides, I have to disagree on something else.  Fire is an element of destruction, yes, but I don’t think that all you’re about.  We use fire for creation, with our smiths, steamwork mechanics, cooks, and even the electronics because they require power made by fire.  You can do more than just destruction.”

“I love destruction, but you’ve got a good point,” Virsae said.  “I love what you mortals can do with fire too.  It’s partly why I hold you to high standards; I know you all can do great things.”

Ralsim smiled; Virsae was definitely well and on Caedrin’s side.  “I agree.  We also use fire for protection and warmth.  And you know, your touch is familiar to me.  You’ve been looking after me.”

“Of course, I wanted to be with you,” he said.  “It was from afar at first, but once you turned sixteen, I moved into the castle’s fireplaces to be near.  From there, I’ve heard a lot from you.”

“I have felt comfortable talking when alone if the fireplace was lit,” he said.  “Then you’d know, I’ve felt alone despite having so many people around me because of the caution I’ve had to have.  I wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but you must already know.  I know I can trust you already; I need someone like you with me.  And I think you might need my help because people have questioned if you’re even alive.  The priestesses back at the observation tower even think you may have gone primal again.”

“I was tempted, but as you said, destruction isn’t everything.  It can be fun in the moment, only to cause loads of problems afterward.”  Virsae touched him again as he lit the torch Ralsim held.  “Sorry about not asking before, but will you marry me now?”

He nodded. “Sure.”

“Great!  Then, one more thing: I will let you choose how I appear this time.”

“How you look…” Ralsim said, considering it.  “It would be awkward to be married to a cloud of fire.”

“Right, you can’t even properly see me in this,” Virsae said.  “I don’t see things like you do, so I may as well look attractive to you.  Just have that image in mind and I can make myself look like anything.”

“That’s a lovely wedding gift,” he said, making Virsae laugh.  What did he want?

Virsae sounded masculine and was always referred to as such, so it felt right to make him appear that way.  He was also the elemental god of fire; that should be clear to others so they recognized him on sight.  And for what he would find attractive... after a minute, the fires gathered together in front of him, forming into a tall man with a broad chest and gold eyes.  He also had dark skin like cooling magma, black with glowing cracks of red and orange across his muscles.  His hair was also bright red, waving around like flames in a fireplace.  For the occasion, he’d even appeared in white pants and a vest.

Although, that was it for clothing.  “You’re underdressed, but that’s fine with me,” Ralsim said.

“I’m not about to let your imagination go to waste,” Virsae said, taking his hand.  “I would’ve gone without the clothes, but there are others here and I’m not that much of an idiot.”

“I’m sure I’ll see all of you before long,” he said, making sure to be quiet although it made Virsae laugh loudly.  With the lit torch in hand, they headed downstairs so Ralsim could get redressed before meeting up with everyone else.

In the heavens, the Observer watched all.  She too was glad for this kept one of the elements from going out of control.  That was her true purpose as one of the goddesses.  In looking at the ripples of the future… this did not end the challenges Ralsim faced as king.  But having Virsae at his side made them easier to deal with.  In years to come, they would bring peace and unity to Caedrin.

This was good.


End file.
